Alek Manoah got a taste of the Dodgers’ medicine

Yesterday, the Dodgers routed their Los Angeles rivals, the Angels, by a score of 15-2.

The drubbing was largely due to the fact that former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah gave up nine runs—eight of them earned—in the eighth and ninth innings of the game played at Angel Stadium. The once-promising starter, now a reliever for the Angels, was completely overwhelmed as things spiraled out of control.

In the end, the path between third base and home plate might as well have been a highway.

As we know, Manoah's career has been a mess for a few seasons now, but it was still refreshing to see him return to the majors with the Angels this season. It must be said that yesterday, things didn't go as his new team had hoped.

Facing the Dodgers' lineup isn't easy to begin with, and when you're a fragile pitcher, it complicates things a bit.

Yet, early in the game, the Angels sent their best pitcher to the mound to face the big blue machine. José Soriano gave up six runs to the visitors over five and a third innings, and guess what? The Dodgers needed just one hit to score all those runs, as Soriano was very generous, walking them no fewer than six times. Of all the pitchers used by manager Kurt Suzuki, only Soriano and Manoah allowed the Dodgers to score runs.

Very opportunistic, the Dodgers' offense scored 15 runs on 10 hits.

SHOHEI GOES FROM HOME TO HOME. pic.twitter.com/8c35ZaR74a

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 17, 2026

Shohei Ohtani took advantage of Manoah's presence on the mound to hit a double and a triple off him. The Japanese slugger also drove in five runs during this offensive outburst.

Ohtani needed to get his legs moving, as he has struggled offensively since the start of the season: he is batting .247. The No. 17 has been more effective on the mound than with a bat in his hands in 2026, but it's only a matter of time before he returns to his usual standards.

If there's one team that can afford to be patient with a player having a tougher season, it's the Dodgers. Dave Roberts's men secured their 28th win and sit atop their division with a slim half-game lead over the San Diego Padres, who also won yesterday against the Seattle Mariners.

Alek Manoah's performance against the Dodgers certainly won't help his case, and the Angels will need to assess the situation regarding him.

His earned run average now stands at 9.82, having pitched in three games this season, throwing a total of seven and one-third innings. In his career, he has a 29-20 record, all of which came while wearing the Blue Jays uniform.

It's sad to see how much Manoah's career has fallen apart. Something snapped at some point, and it's difficult to put the pieces back together the way they were at the start.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.